Chrysanthemum plant named ‘AURORA PURPLE’

ABSTRACT

A chrysanthemum plant named ‘AURORA PURPLE’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with purple ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date September 4-9; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘AURORA PURPLE’ is a product of a breeding and selection program foroutdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating newchrysanthemum cultivars with a daisy type flower, a natural seasonflower date around September 4-9; blooming for a period of 5 weeks. Thenew plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivarof Chrysanthemum plant. ‘AURORA PURPLE’ is a seedling resulting from theopen pollination among groups of chrysanthemum cultivars maintainedunder the control of the inventor for breeding purposes. The new anddistinct cultivar was discovered and selected as one flowering plant byRob Noodelijk on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout, Holland in September1998. The plant has been asexually reproduced by cuttings in greenhousesat Rijsenhout, Holland. The new cultivar has been found to retain itsdistinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of foliage and petiole of the newcultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements weregathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, Holland under naturalday length and temperature and planted week 22 in 1999 and 2000. Thenatural blooming date of this crop was September 4-9 (week 36). Theaverage height of the plants was 38-42 cms. No growth retardants wereused. No tests were done on disease or insects resistance orsusceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought resistance. Thisnew variety produces medium sized blooms with purple ray florets and ayellow disc-florets blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘AURORA PURPLE’ is ‘MAGGIE’ (pat.pend.). When ‘MAGGIE’and ‘AURORA PURPLE’ are being compared the following differences arenoticed: The differences of ‘MAGGIE’ and ‘AURORA PURPLE’ are (1) Naturalblooming date. ‘AURORA PURPLE’ flowers earlier. (2) Flower color.‘AURORA PURPLE’ has darker flowers.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘AURORA PURPLE’ as a new and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolorances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 1995.

Table 1: Botanical Description of Cultivar ‘Aurora Purple’

Bud:

Size.—Small; cross-section 0.7 cm, height 0.9 cm.

Outside color.—Red-purple 71 A.

Involucural bracts.—2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm.

Involucral bracts among disc-florets.—Not present.

Involucral bracts color.—Green 138 A.

Bloom:

Type.—Daisy.

Height.—Flat, 1.2-1.5 cm.

Size.—Medium.

Fully expanded.—4.5-5.0 cm.

Number of blooms per branch.—Approx. 4-5 blooms per branch.

Performance on the plant .—5 weeks.

Seeds (if crossed).—Produced in large quantities, oval shaped.Grey-brown 199 A, 2 mm in length.

Fragrance.—Typical chrysanthemum, slight.

Color:

Center of the flower (disc-florets).—Immature yellow-green 153 D. Matureyellow 9A.

Color of upper surface of the ray-florets.—Red-purple 61 A.

Color of the lower surface of the ray-florets.—Red-purple 70 B.

Tonality from distance.—A garden mum with purple flowers and a yellowdisc.

Color of the upper surface of the flowers after aging of theplant.—Red-purple 70 B.

Ray florets:

Texture.—Upper and under side smooth.

Number.—24-27.

Cross-section.—Flat.

Longitudinal axis of majority.—Straight.

Length of corolla tube.—Short to long, 0.4-1.2 cm.

Ray-floret margin.—Entire.

Ray-floret length.—2.0-2.4 cm.

Ray-floret width.—0.4-0.7 cm.

Ratio length/width.—Medium.

Shape of tip.—Dentate.

Disc florets:

Disc diameter.—1.0-1.2 cm.

Distribution of disc florets.—Numerous, clearly visible at all stages offlowering.

Shape.—Tubular.

Color.—Yellow-green 153 D.

Receptacle shape.—Conical raised.

Reproductive organs:

Stamen (present in disc florets only).—Thick, 4 mm in length.

Stamen color.—Yellow-green 144 A.

Pollen.—Present.

Pollen color.—Yellow 9 A.

Styles.—Thin.

Style color.—Yellow-green 144 A.

Stype length.—5 mm.

Stigmas.—Yellow-green 144 A.

Stigma width.—1 mm.

Ovaries.—Enclosed in calyx.

Plant:

Shape.—Grown as a spray-type pot-mum, outdoor mounded and round.

Growth habit.—Spreading.

Growth rate.—Rapid.

Height.—38-42 cms.

Width.—36-40 cms.

Stem color.—Green 138 A.

Stem strength.—Medium.

Stem brittleness.—Absent.

Stem anthocyanin coloration.—Present, a thin layer of greyed-red 181 Amainly at the base of the stem.

Length of lateral branch.—From top to bottom 14-15 cm.

Lateral branch color.—Green 138 A.

Lateral branch, attachment.—Strong.

Branching (average number of lateral branches).—Mounding and prolificwith 9 breaks after pinching.

Peduncle length.—4.0-4.5 cm.

Peduncle color.—Green 138 A.

Natural season blooming date.—September 4-9.

Foliage:

Color of mature leaves.—Upper side green 147 A. Under side green 147 B.

Color of immature leaves.—Upper side green 138 A. Under side green 138B.

Size.—Very small; length 4.0 cm, width 3.5 cm.

Quantity (number per lateral branch).—5-6.

Shape.—Rounded.

Texture upper side.—Glabrous.

Texture under side.—Pubescent.

Venation arrangement.—Palmate.

Shape of the margin.—Serrated.

Shape of base of sinus between lateral lobes.—Round.

Margin of sinus between lateral lobes.—Diverging.

Shape of base.—Acute.

Apex.—Cuspidate.

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison varieties (when grown under thesame conditions) ‘AURORA PURPLE’ ‘MAGGIE’ (pat. pend.) Natural bloomingSeptember 4-9 October 7-15 date Color of the Red-purple 61 A Purple 75 Aat the tips, upper surface of to purple 75 D at the the ray-florets.middle of the flower

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant asdescribed and illustrated.